Jeremy Kyle admits being 'nervous' at radio show launch after 'tragic' death of Portsmouth TV show participant Steve Dymond

The talk show host’s confrontational series was suspended indefinitely by the broadcaster in May 2019 following the death of a participant, 63-year-old Steve Dymond from Portsmouth, a week after a programme featuring him was filmed.

The programme, which had been a regular fixture in the TV schedule since 2005, was axed for good following calls for it to be cancelled from MPs and members of the public.

A pre-inquest hearing last year was told that Mr Kyle will be treated as an ‘interested person’ in the full inquest, who will be treated as someone who may have ‘caused or contributed’ to Mr Dymond’s death.

Mr Kyle began his new drivetime show by addressing his departure directly, but told listeners he could not go into detail due to ‘legal reasons’.

Launching his three-hour programme, he said: ‘It is really weird. I have worked on television for 15 years, before that I had done a lot of radio, and I find myself today quite nervous.

‘It has been a while. I was walking around this morning and I thinking, ‘How do I start something like this? What do you say?’

‘Let’s start by talking about the one thing people would expect me to talk about, which is what I did on television for 14-and-a-half years, that I am very proud of. But we will know that there has been a situation, a tragic situation, and much has been written and much has been said.

‘For legal reasons – this is a fact – I can’t talk about that. But let me tell you this. When I can I will and it will be on this radio station. But for now that is a closed chapter. What is important is this radio station.’

SEE ALSO: Campaign at critical moment

Kyle said the last two years had been ‘on one hand good’ because of the birth of his son Oliver.

He also recalled promising his father, who died six weeks ago, that he would return to work in broadcasting.

Urging listeners to stay with the programme, he added: ‘Give us a chance. Rome wasn’t built in a day.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, for 27p a day.